Ex-mailman admits to stealing nearly $40K worth of sports cards
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: A USPS logo is seen on a mailbox on February 24, 2021, in New York City. The U.S Postal Service awarded a 10-year multi-billion dollar contract to Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense to replace its vehicles. (Photo by Jo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A former mail carrier has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly 100 sports trading cards from the mail worth nearly $40,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Missouri said 26-year-old Paul Robinson of Richmond, Missouri, admitted to one count of mail theft in federal court last week. He waived his right to a grand jury. He faces up to five years in federal prison without parole.
Robinson said he stole 94 sports trading cards, valued at approximately $39,994 and other items from the mail between April and June 2021.
Prosecutors said Robinson worked for the U.S. Postal Service from 2018 and 2021. He was assigned to Barry Woods Annex in Kansas City.
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According to court documents, in June 2021, a customer reported that he had mailed a Kevin Durant sports trading card valued at $1,925 to a customer in Kansas City but the card never arrived. The customer also provided the tracking and serial numbers for additional mail items that contained valuable sports trading cards that had been placed in the mail and were missing.
Four of the missing sports cards were found at a sports memorabilia store in Gladstone, Mo. The store’s surveillance video showed Robinson, in his USPS uniform, exchanging the cards for a sale in June 2021.
Robinson admitted to his actions during an interview with federal investigators. He also said that he took some mail to his home and destroyed it.
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When agents searched Robinson’s home, they found approximately 440 pieces of mail and one additional trading card.
In August 2021, agents recovered 11 more sports trading cards from a store in Liberty and another trading card from a store in Gladstone.
A sentencing hearing for Robinson has not been set yet.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.